


time gave me no compasses

by amonkeysue



Category: Marvel's Avengers (Video Game)
Genre: Assumed Temporary Character Death, F/M, Time Skips, probably not canon compliant, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:01:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26251588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amonkeysue/pseuds/amonkeysue
Summary: In the wake of Nick Fury's disappearance, Clint Barton and Kate Bishop went looking for him.Clint went missing too.Between that, A-Day, and slipping into undercover work, Natasha has had plenty to keep her busy, but perhaps it's only a matter of time before hearing something from the absent archer...
Relationships: Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, Kate Bishop & Natasha Romanov
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	time gave me no compasses

**Author's Note:**

> I've had the loose inklings of this very self indulgent concept ever since the Clint reveal trailer, but the Kate trailer dropping the "Missing in Action" confirmation for Clint had me quickly writing this right away.  
> I've only played the beta and seen content from the War Tables, prelude comics, and general trailers, so no spoilers beyond those since I don't even really know what canon is! To be honest I've got at least a couple standing theories from the Kate trailer alone, but those aren't as relevant to the scope of this piece. :)

**… SHORTLY AFTER NICK FURY’S DISAPPEARANCE …**

He didn’t bother looking up as she stepped into the doorway behind him, keeping his focus on shoving clothes and the essentials into his go bag. “You know, technically this is a highly classified assignment. Relevant eyes and ears only.”

“I have my ways.”

Clint turned to look at where Natasha was leaning in the doorframe with her arms crossed as she watched him, her expression unreadable. “I promise I wasn’t going to leave without saying something.”

She shrugged her free shoulder. “I thought I’d make it easier for you.”

“Thanks.” He zipped the bag shut and set it beside his bow case and quiver on the bed before stepping towards her. “I promise I’ll keep a good eye on Kate. We’ll be great, back before you know it. Might not even have time to miss us.”

Natasha gave a slight nod and kept her gaze firmly fixed on his. “Except he might not want to be found, or whatever makes Nick Fury go missing…”

“Isn’t something that’s gonna think kindly of us poking around,” he finished before breaking into a little sigh, his shoulders falling. “Yeah, it’s bound to be an adventure.”

She let a clear note of concern bleed across her features. “Be careful, Clint. Both of you.”

“We’ll be back before too much longer,” he reassured. “And I’ll do my best to make that before those Avengers Day plans.” Clint slightly smirked. “I do want to meet the Hawkeye fan club.”

“I hear they’re very adoring,” she agreed with a small smirk of her own while unfolding her arms and sobering her expression. “Call me if you need any help. I can push other business aside easily enough. For Nick and for you.”

His voice was soft as he replied. “I will.”

Natasha took a half step forward to slip her hands up on his shoulders and lean up to press a kiss to his cheek, pausing to repeat, “Be careful,” as she pulled back.

“Do I get one on the lips?” he wryly asked, somehow balancing a smile and a serious nod at the same time.

She arched a brow and adopted another smirk. “Only once you’re back.”

**… SOME TIME AFTER …**

Kate audibly swallowed from the other end of the call. “Natasha, I…”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” she gently reassured even as she closed her eyes and kept back a deep breath, fully aware of how it might come across to Kate. “You both knew the risk, you both did all you could.” Natasha hesitated before adding on, “It comes with our line of work.”

Kate did break into a shaky exhale. “Do you think there’s still a chance?”

“Possibly,” Natasha admitted after a long moment of silence.

She didn’t reflect much further on who she was saying it for.

“Director Hill says she’s giving it another couple of days before putting him down as MIA.”

“It’s procedure.” Natasha’s grip tightened on her phone. “Kate, whatever you do next-.”

“I’ll be careful,” she promised, letting a beat of silence pass before exhaling. “Okay, I’ve gotta go, but I’ll see you when I see you. Take care, Natasha.”

“You too.”

Natasha stared at the phone for a moment after she hung up before sliding it into her pocket and walking back to the door.

She’d wait until the official ‘Missing in Action’ declaration before starting to grieve.

**… TWO YEARS LATER …**

Natasha checked the motel room for any bugs before marginally relaxing, settling on the bed with a tired exhale to check her messages. The odds were slim, but there was a chance someone would take her up on one of her old secure channels.

She genuinely blinked at having an entirely unexpected message from Kate.

Only in case of emergency, she had promised in the wake of A-Day and the global pushback against superheroes.

_I think I’ve got something on him._

Hmmm.

It had worked out fairly well that Natasha’s interests in trying to search out answers for the A-Day disaster and answers for Clint’s disappearance led to similar places, but she still had yet to find anything substantial either way.

But she wasn’t about to discount the possibility of Kate’s own efforts having led her to something, and she wouldn’t have reached out if she wasn't exceptionally confident in her lead.

As much as she was reasonable about what the amount of time that had elapsed with nothing new likely meant, it was nice to have even a flicker of something more solid again.

She messaged Kate back. _Where and when?_

**… THREE YEARS LATER …**

The best view she had of the inside was surprisingly poor quality for an AIM facility’s security camera, but what she could see of the person taking down several of their synthoids and exos still took her breath away.

Five years.

And yet.

Hopefully he was still accepting the old frequencies.

She didn’t get the connection established until he was starting to walk away, which may have been a contributing factor to the almost breathless note that mingled with the disbelief she didn’t bother hiding. “Clint?!”

There. He paused, angled to almost look back in the general direction of the camera.

“I… I guess that explains the shock arrow. And the bow.” A reference to an old joke was easy for the way she just couldn’t manage to be as eloquent as she would have preferred in the moment.

He raised to hand to activate the mic attached to his hearing aids. “Hey. I hear I missed a lot.”

At some other time she might have broken into a wry laugh. For the moment she kept her eyes glued to the security feed.

Clint fiddled with the mic sensitivity when she didn’t respond. “Nat?”

Her throat had gone surprisingly tight. “I’m a sea of emotions,” she managed before taking a deep breath. References were safe. They didn’t involve grappling with a slew of emotions all at once.

He was alive. Really alive, chuckling at her over the comms.

“You’re not the only one.” He started walking back out of the facility. “Can I plan on making a rendezvous?”

“Do you have transport?”

“I’ve got a ride.”

“Do you want the rest of the team to find out now or later?”

Clint paused for a second before replying. “Later, if it works. I’ve got a few things I want to say first.”

“Then see you soon.”

**… SHORTLY AFTER …**

Careful of his bow and quiver, Natasha immediately met Clint in a hug, sharply breathing in as she pressed her head against his shoulder and he hugged her just as tightly, tipping his head to rest against hers.

“I missed you too,” he quietly said.

She shifted her head to lean her cheek on his shoulder. “What happened?”

“Oh boy, there’s a lot. Uh, where to start. There’s – actually.” He lifted his head to look at her and nervously smiled. “I know it’s been something like five years and there’s been a lot, but could I get that kiss now?”

Natasha rolled her eyes but pulled back enough to lean into a direct kiss on the lips for several moments.

“You only get one of this before I hear the story,” she lightly warned in a whisper while looking him in the eyes.

Clint nodded. “That’s fair. So, you know Katie-Kate and I were looking for Fury…”


End file.
